New Delhi: Indian budget smartphone maker Micromax has become the first local firm to take the top spot in the Indian smart phone market beating South Korea's Samsung, according to research firm Canalys.
India, which has the world's second-highest number of mobile phone accounts after China, is the third-biggest market by number of smartphones sold. Low-priced smartphones are the top sellers in a country where many buyers are upgrading from feature phones.
In its report issued on Feb. 3, Canalys has disclosed that Micromax accounted for 22 percent of smartphone sales in India in the October-December quarter, ahead of Samsung's 20 percent.
In total, 21.6 million smartphones were sold in India in the period, a 90 percent surge compared to last year. .
Micromax's performance was partly due to its "continuing appeal to mobile phone users upgrading to smartphones", Canalys said.
According to Canalys report, a quarter of smartphones sold in India in the fourth quarter were devices priced under $100 (roughly Rs. 6,100), while 41 percent of devices sold were in the $100-$200 (roughly Rs. 6,100 - Rs. 12,200) range.
Overall, the Indian market experienced very strong annual growth of 90%, with 21.6 million units shipping in the quarter.
The top four players in Q4 2014 in India by units shipped were Micromax, Samsung, Karbonn and Lava, with a tough fight being seen for the third and fourth positions.
